Developers Now Required To Share Phone Number and Address On EU App Store

An anonymous reader quotes a report from MacRumors: Apple today reminded developers that the EU trader requirement in the European Union is now being enforced. Developers who distribute apps in the EU will now need to share information that includes address, phone number, and email address on the EU App Store. Submitting updates for apps on the App Store in the European Union now requires trader information that's added via App Store Connect, with those details shared on each developer's App Store page. App updates can no longer be submitted without trader information, and starting on February 17, 2025, apps that do not have a trader status set will be removed from the App Store in the EU until trader status is provided and verified.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union requires Apple to verify and display trader contact information for all "traders" who are distributing apps on the App Store in the European Union. Developers who make money from the App Store through either an upfront purchase price or through in-app purchases are considered traders, regardless of size. Contact information for each developer that is considered a trader will be publicly available, and there will undoubtedly be some developers that are unhappy with the requirement. Independent developers and small companies may not have dedicated business addresses and phone numbers to provide, and will likely be reluctant to provide their personal contact information. You can learn more about the requirements on Apple's website.

Re:

[test321]

But the complain should address relevant parts of the DSA. These are normal requirements for national jurisdictions in the EU. Registering a business is compulsory before any business occurs; providing an address for the business is compulsory upon registration; the formal address and company registration number is already available in databases on the internet. (Whether you registered under your home address is up to you.) Regarding the phone, you definitely should use a separate number for any business ac

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[Luckyo]

This is a half truth and half lie. While if you want to conduct things as a business most EU nations require entry into national registry (here it's well known as a scam directory, as the moment you register, scammers will basically spam you with various "offers"). But a lot of developers do not in fact produce apps as a business, but as a private person. Usually people make something that helps themselves, and then publish it to help others. And it does.

For example the best public transit planner software

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[F.Ultra]

High chance that your friend isn't defined as a trader under the DSA. If he really is making this app as a mere hobby and not as a means to make a profit or as a profession (e.g people can make apps for free just to advertise that they can make apps for their cv and stuff) then he is not a trader.

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[Luckyo]

It's always hilarious how people like to tell us that they're barely literate when they try to argue legal minutiae. Straight from the OP:

>Developers who distribute apps in the EU will now need to share information that includes address, phone number, and email address on the EU App Store. Submitting updates for apps on the App Store in the European Union now requires trader information that's added via App Store Connect, with those details shared on each developer's App Store page. App updates can no lo

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[IcyWolfy]

From the summary:

> Developers who make money from the App Store through either an upfront purchase price or through in-app purchases are considered traders, regardless of size

Developers who do not make any revenue, are not considered traders.

Or from Apple's announcement itself: "How to know if you are a trader".

> For example, if you're a hobbyist and you developed your app with no intention of commercializing it, you may not be considered a trader.

From the Apple page, requiring the info:

> If you

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[nicolaiplum]

You have chosen a poor example since a person who earns no money from an app will not have to supply name and telephone number as they are not a "trader".

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[Luckyo]

I know people don't read beyond the headline, but you really should. It will save a lot of embarrassment. From the OP:

>Developers who distribute apps in the EU will now need to share information that includes address, phone number, and email address on the EU App Store. Submitting updates for apps on the App Store in the European Union now requires trader information that's added via App Store Connect, with those details shared on each developer's App Store page. App updates can no longer be submitted wi

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[IcyWolfy]

Apples page explictly state that simply posting to the EU store does not make one a trader. "For example, if you're a hobbyist and you developed your app with no intention of commercializing it, you may not be considered a trader.". Yes. People can read the article, and not a summary that omits all the details of what is, and is not a trader with respect to the EU law, and to Apple's enforcement of the law as written. Apple states that it cannot determine if any developer is a trader under the law. A

Re:

[arglebargle_xiv]

Actually Breton had to resign because of ongoing personal conflicts with von der Leyen, they couldn't stand each other. Prior to then he'd done a pretty good job sorting out companies and economies with dire problems, and even at the Commission did a lot to try to counter the excesses of big tech.

This was not already a requirement?

[Hank21]

Shocked that it was not already a requirement. Most of the apps I used know everything about me - my phone number, name location etc.. It's about time the tables are evened out a little and there is a name tied to who exactly is getting my personal data.

Makes sense

[gweihir]

That way malicious and grossly negligent developers can actually be identified.

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[F.Ultra]

Business registers are public in the EU, and something tells me that they are in the US as well.

Easy to get around.

[thedarb]

Burner app phone number(s), online po boxes, and plenty of places to stand up and abandon such an email address. Effectively useless law.

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[F.Ultra]

I assume that a trader doesn't get to decide which information that Apple should make public but instead that if you meet the criteria of a trader that Apple will publish the information that THEY have on you which is the one they use to contact you (app certificate renewals, payments and so on).

Finally!

[PPH]

Another use for that 1-800-EAT-SHIT number.

Nope, not true

[SuperDre]

This is not true, at least not under EU rules. Personal data may not be shared publicly, so if a developer doesn't have a business phonenumber or address, it may not be publicly available.

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[viperidaenz]

If they don't have business contact details, how are they in business?

Presumably you don't need to provide this information if your app is free and have no in-app purchasing.

Quite true.

[IcyWolfy]

The EU Directive requires all earning revenue on a digital service, via the Digital Services Act.
The developer must " notify the name, postal address, email address and telephone number of their legal representative to the Digital Services Coordinator in the Member State where that legal representative resides or is established."

Failure to provide full information is subject to fines, for failing to provide adequate direct contact to reach the developer.

Failure to provide verified name, address, and phone n

Dom names / whois

[Bert64]

Wasn't it the EU that basically forced whois records to hide the address and phone number of the registrant, even when a domain is owned by a business?

I find it extremely shady when a company uses a domain privacy service, a legitimate business should be contactable and locatable, so it makes sense for this information to be available before you acquire any monetized app. They should require that business domains display such information too, and only allow hiding that information for personally owned domains.

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[F.Ultra]

Not really, it was ICANN themselves that decided to hide those details in fear that they would otherwise violate the GDPR. However GDPR only covers personal information and not commercial/business information so if they removed also info to businesses then ICANN removed more than they had to.

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[PPH]

Does ICANN (or various registrars) have a personal/business field in their DNS data?

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[PPH]

"whois" data, and yes, they do, it's been that way since the 80s

OK. I misstated my question. Does DNS have a field signifying that an entry is either a personally or business owned domain?

Doxxing / swatting

[RegistrationIsDumb83]

These rules seem mostly to benefit assholes who want to doxx and harass random small time app/game devs. Beyond a contact email, there's not really much need for a platform to post devs address and phone. We don't need to empower the swatters.